The third volume in this excellent series of rare funky female soul! If you've caught the other volumes, you'll know that the series goes way past the hits to come up with the cream of the crop of deep soul divas – the sort of obscure singers changing hands these days for big bucks on funky 45s, plus a few better known artists, represented here by some of their lesser known funkier work.

With a voice that wavers with eternal beauty from a bygone era, Kacey Jones uses her powerful pipes to pay homage to her favorite songwriter, and one of America's greats: Mickey Newbury.

The second volume in Harmless' excellent I'm a Good Woman series favors bigger names and more recognizable songs than its predecessor, but nevertheless does an excellent job of documenting the feminine empowerment and social consciousness that bloomed among soul music's great divas with the emergence of funk.

Newbury hooks up with Bobby Bare as a producer and puts out Rusty Tracks, a record full of pedal steel guitars, fiddles, cut time rhythms, and lyrical darkness.

Very rare collection of psychedelic bands, re-released in 1994 on the "Timothy's Brain" label,
with very dark material. Recordings are usually from vinyl with some pops and clicks, but it is worth getting to know this CD, out of the print for several years. First released as Psychedelic Unknowns Vol.11.

In mid-1991, Newbury recorded some demo tracks at Triad Studios in Eugene, Oregon, as a favour to the previous owner. He wasn't satisfied with the tracks, mostly covers, and they were never released. But on the two occasions when he sings his own songs, he goes off into two- or three-song medleys, and these just may be some of the best stuff he ever did.

Rita MacNeil's recordings do not easily fit predetermined radio play categories; they range from gospel and country to adult contemporary. Her persona as one who overcomes obstacles (cleft palate, poverty, weight problems, shyness) has built loyal audiences.

Chrome Dreams, the U.K. label that released Songs that Dylan Loved, presents 25 songs, done by the original artists, that are reputed to have been influential on an impressionable, school-aged Bobby Zimmerman. Included are early rock classics like "Tutti Frutti" by Little Richard, as well as classic folk, blues, and country songs by the likes of Cisco Houston, Roy Acuff, Woody Guthrie, and the Carter Family. This CD includes 25 songs, all of which Bob Dylan has covered at some point in his career, and which show the huge breadth of inspiration Bob has used to inform his own inimitable style.

A beautiful early 70s debut LP from a then 20-year-old Catherine Howe – produced and arranged by US jazz pianist Bobby Scott in a mode that manages to feel lush and opulent while never belying Catherine's warmth, intimacy and maturity – and quite possibly the best unearthed singer-songwriter folk gem we've heard in years! The sound is warmly baroque, and Catherine's lovely vocals and evocative songwriting style is sheerly natural – recorded in a fairly stripped down setting and fleshed out with strings by the London Symphony Orchestra. The mix of intimacy and grandeur makes the record a bit of a stylistic cousin to Nick Drake's Bryter Layter. Released by a doomed Reflection Records, which closed up shop the same year, it was pretty much automatically relegated to obscurity. Now, thankfully, is a fertile time for the rediscovery of post 60s folkish gems – and this one is at the very top of the line. : ~ Dusty Groove

Welsh four-piece, hailing from the same place as the Manics, release debut album that couldn't be more different from the Preachers. Gentle and repetitive guitar and mandolin snake around a high-pitched, trembling vocal, and the poetic but, nevertheless, slightly odd lyrics can be isolating (they describe themselves as Schopenhauer's favourite band). All in all, an oddball debut. : ~ Total Guitar Review.

A perfect evening of British cocktail piano wit, this live performance at the Fortune Theatre in London (but see Amazon Customer below) should delight any fan of such classic BBC radio shows as My Word and My Music. It shares with them same droll narrative, dry wit, and sparkling piano. "A Gnu" and "Hippopotamus" both became justly famous among adults and children alike, particularly for the former's punning malapropisms: "I'm a G-nu /How do you do/You really ought to K-now W-ho's W-ho." "Design for Living" gives a wry look at two bachelors attempting to redecorate a house, and the leering "Madeira, M'Dear?" is a cheeky account of that oldest of seduction ploys. Charming and witty, this album deserves to be far better known. : ~ Paul Collins

A Tribute to Steve Goodman culls the contents of a live performance at the Arts Crown Theatre by a variety of
artists. While not every song here was recorded or written by Goodman, the concert is more a testament to the great affection these performers felt for Goodman and his music, and that sentiment comes through regardless of what's being played on stage. Performers include John Prine, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Arlo Guthrie, Richie Havens, Bonnie Raitt, David Bromberg, Jethro Burns, Fred Holstein, and Bryan Bowers, among many others.
: ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

For the Love of Hazel – Songs for Hazel Dickens is a loving tribute to singer/songwriter Hazel Dickens inspired by
her songwriting, her voice, and her groundbreaking collaborations with Alice Gerrard. Hazel is probably in many ways one of the more under-acknowledged artists of her era; we hope this EP does even a tiny part in shining a light on the artist and her work. : ~ DK/MM

Jean Ritchie is a national treasure, one of America's finest and best known traditional singers. She grew up in Viper, Kentucky, and is part of a large family, the famous "Singing Ritchies of Kentucky." The ballads on this recording are outstanding Appalachian versions of the "Child ballads," English and Scottish narrative songs collected and published by scholar Francis James Child in the late 19th century. The songs tell of true and lost love, jealousy, treachery, grief, death, and the supernatural. This reissue of her landmark Folkways recordings of British traditional ballads in Appalachia brings her clear, pure voice and timeless songs to new generations of listeners. : ~ Smithsonian Folkways

Recorded in an intimate concert setting, the album includes some of Siebel's signature tunes, such as Louise and Pinto Pony, along with perennials like I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry and In the Jailhouse Now.